MP collector accused of driving private vehicle into Sanjay Tiger Reserve core area; probe on

Sidhi: The Madhya Pradesh government has launched a probe after the collector of Sidhi district was accused of repeatedly driving his private vehicle into the core area of Sanjay Tiger Reserve, an official said on Sunday.

Activist Ajay Dube has alleged that the collector, Swarochish Somavanshi, has been flouting the Wildlife Act and guidelines of the NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority).

In his complaint to the forest department, the wildlife activist claimed that the collector, accompanied by friends, visits the reserve in Sidhi district every week and ventures into tiger habitats with his private Gypsy.

He also alleged that Somavanshi pressures forest officials and even goes on a safari on Wednesday afternoons when the facility is closed to regular visitors.

The collector’s vehicle remains in the restricted core area till late at night, and he gets extremely close to the big cats, he claimed.

Sanjay Tiger Reserve's field director Amit Kumar told PTI that he had received a letter from the Forest Department concerning Dube’s allegations.

“Majholi Sub Divisional Officer Narendra Ravi has been appointed as the investigating officer for this matter. He will investigate the matter soon and submit a report,” said Kumar.

Collector Somavanshi did not respond to repeated phone calls and messages.